A ROOKIE & The Passage of The Mental Health Law: The Indonesian

Nova Riyanti Yusuf. MD, psychiatrist, was a Member of Parliament for the House of Representative of the republic of Indonesia in 2009-2014. She initiated the mental Health Bill in 2009, advacated the urgency, created model projects, and successfully chaired the Mental Health Bill Working Committee until it’s passed into law on July 8, 2014. The Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 18/2014 on Mental Health has been enacted since August 8, 2014. However, the process was a winding road therefore this memoir is born. Once the bill was passed into law, she did the ever-surprising gesture of relief by fountain dipping in the parliament complex. It was her vow and when she executed her vow she was accompanied by the Health Ministry officials, psychiatrists, members of consumer group, people with mental disorders, expert staffs, etc. In 2012-2014, Democratic Party Faction appointed her as Deputy Chairwoman of Commision IX overseeing health, manpower and transmigration, food and drug, and family planning and population affairs. Her task was not only to deal with the Mental Health Bill but also other duties as one of the commission leaders. But the Mental Health Bill was her personal indicator as a legislator who lives up to what she believes in. And one of the urgencies of the Mental Health Law is to eradicate the violations of human rights in Indonesia, which the Basic Health Research 2013 indicates the heartbreaking practice of approximately 56,000 people with mental diorders being shakled. And she dreams that the Mental Health Law can also play an important role in reviving the noble values of the great nation and building the next generation of Indonesia with formidable character. Her passion for mental health is in line with her educational background. She’s a certified psychiatrist graduating from Psychiatry Specialization Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta. Her forensic psychiatry thesis was focusing on the Biopsychosocial Aspects of Suicide Among Two Painters in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She graduated as a Medical Doctor from Faculty of Medicine, Trisakti University, Jakarta. Currently she still lectures at the Psychiatry Department, Trisakti University, Jakarta. She also established Metaforma Institute in 2007 and it is now in charge of running her free mental health services outreach with Mobile Mental Health Service (MMHS) units. She’s an avid speaker for conference/workshop/talk show with topics ranging from mental health, human rights, population & development, health policy, youth participation, literature, and so on. A passionate psychiatrist, a lecturer, a prolific writer, and a retiring young legislator, this memoir is her 11th book. To lear more about her and her contributions, go to www.novariyantiyusuf.net Twitter : @saya_noriyu Facebook : Nova Riyanti Yusuf Email : aspirasi@novariyantiyusuf.net